GOC President welcomes probe

....into Ghana’s 2014 Commonwealth Games campaign
Ghana Olympic Committee President Prof. Francis Dodoo has welcomed calls for a probe into Ghana’s participation in the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Team Ghana’s campaign in Glasgow was dogged by financial constraints leading to delays in the delivery of competitions kits and payment of per diem. Despite overseeing what was described as one of Team Ghana’s best pre-games ever in the history of the country, the campaign was also characterised by negative media reportage bordering on shenanigans that are supposed to have happened in camp.

In the midst of the media frenzy, sprinter Flings Owusu Agyapong expressed her displeasure about the negative media reportage during the Games, noting that it was having a toll on the psyche and performances of athletes at the Games.

Speaking to Patrick Osei Agyeman on Ghana’s Most Popular Sports programme, “Fire for Fire” on Asempa Fm on Thursday afternoon, Prof. Dodoo said he welcomes any probe into what actually happened in Glasgow.

“I have been waiting for a commission of inquiry to be set up to investigate what happened in Glasgow because too many lies have been told about our participation,” he said on Asempa Fm’s “Fire for Fire” programme.

Prof. Dodoo added that the Commonwealth Games budget was approved by the Ministry of Youth and Sports and Chief of Staff prior to the Games. He explained that the GOC was not in charge of distributing money to athletes and officials contrary to claims of alleged financial malfeasance in the media.

The former national triple jump champion said that rather, the accountant of the National Sports Authority was responsible for paying athletes and officials their per diem at the Games, dispelling the notion that the Ghana Olympic Committee physically handled money at the Games.

“All monies paid to the athletes were paid by the accountant of the National Sports Authority,” he summed up.

The country was represented by 90 sportsmen/women drawn from ten sporting disciplines in Glasgow, including athletics, para sports, boxing, shooting, taekwondo, table tennis, judo, swimming, badminton, cycling and weightlifting in Glasgow.

Ghana won two bronze medals at the CWG, after judoka Razak Abugiri and amateur boxer Umar Abdul each picked up bronze medals in their respective events.